The streets of magical Britain were quieter now, as if holding their breath in fear, the only noise behind the heavy boots of Death Eaters patrolling the cobblestone streets and the distant cries of those who had fallen out of favor. It wasn't a world that Daphne had ever imagined living in. She had always assumed the war would end – somehow, by some miracle – with Potter's victory. But there had been no miracle. Only defeat.
Now, she and Susan Bones were constantly on the move, running from one crumbling safe house to the next, always trying to be one step ahead of the Dark Lord's followers.
The safe house tonight was nothing more than an abandoned Muggle shack on the outskirts of a long-forgotten village. Its windows were boarded up, the paint peeling from the walls, and the wind howled through the cracks in the rotting wood. Daphne and Susan huddled inside, crouched on the cold, dusty floor, catching their breath after hours of evading capture.
Daphne ran a hand through her tangled blonde hair, her heart still pounding in her chest. She hadn't slept properly in weeks, maybe months. Time had lost all meaning in this hellscape of hiding and running. Susan was sitting opposite her, leaning against the wall, her face pale, dark circles under her eyes. She was holding her wand, knuckles white from the grip she hadn't loosened. It was the only weapon either of them truly trusted anymore.
"You alright?" Daphne asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Even in the supposed safety of the shack, speaking felt like tempting fate.
Susan nodded slowly but said nothing. Her gaze was distant, lost in whatever nightmare had been haunting her thoughts. Daphne knew that look all too well. It had become a permanent fixture on both their faces since everything went wrong.
Voldemort's forces had taken over the Ministry, Hogwarts was now a fortress for the Death Eaters, and anyone who had once been a member of the Order or had resisted the regime was hunted down and executed. Susan's entire family had been wiped out in one night, the Bones name was no longer whispered in reverence but in fear. And Daphne, once a proud Slytherin, had made her choice the night the Malfoys turned their backs on her family. They'd been branded traitors for refusing to bend and serve Voldemort without questions, and it had sealed their fate.
"I wish we could stop running," Susan said softly, breaking the silence. Her voice was raw, a blend of exhaustion and despair.
Daphne glanced toward the window, though there was nothing to see beyond the darkness. She knew Susan meant it. She knew how tired she was, how tired they both were. But they couldn't stop. Not if they wanted to live.
"Stopping isn't an option," Daphne snapped, her tone harsher than she intended. She quickly softened her tone when she added, "I know it's hard. But they'll find us if we stop."
Susan closed her eyes, her body slumping further into the wall as though the weight of it all was pulling her down, "I don't even know what we're fight for anymore. They've already won."
Daphne flinched at the truth of her words. The resistance was scattered, in hiding, or dead. Hope was a fragile thing, barely flickering in the darkest corners.
"We're running because we're still alive," Daphne said, her voice steady now, though her heart screamed in denial, "And as long as we're alive, we fight."
Susan opened her eyes and looked at Daphne, "What are we fighting for, Daph? Revenge? Survival? I don't even know what's left."
Daphne's throat tightened as she struggled to answer. She didn't have a grand reason. No noble cause. Just the will to keep going, to keep defying them, to keep surviving even when the world was determined to crush them.
"For each other," Daphne said, her voice barely audible, "We're fighting for each other."
Susan's lip trembled, but she held Daphne's gaze for a long moment before she nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek, "I don't want to lose you," she whispered.
"You won't," Daphne promised, though even she wasn't sure how much longer they could keep this up, "I'm not going anywhere."
The silence that followed was thick, heavy with unspoken fears and the weight of their shared grief. The air in the room felt oppressive, pressing down on them as the wind outside howled.
Suddenly, there was a sharp knock at the door.
Both women froze, their eyes snapping to the entrance, their wands raised in an instant. The knock cam again, louder this time, more insistent.
"Daph…" Susan whispered, her voice quivering with panic.
Daphne's heart raced as she motioned for Susa to move away from the door, silently urging her to take cover. Her fingers were trembling, but she gripped her wand tightly, stepping cautiously toward the door. Terror clawing at her insides.
A moment of unbearable silence stretched out between them, and then another knock – a slow deliberate knock, as though the person on the other side was enjoying the terror they were inflicting.
"Susan," Daphne whispered, her voice shaking, "We need to –"
Before she could finish her sentence, the door burst open, splintering off its hinges. A tall, hooded figure stood in the doorway, backlit by the moonlight. Daphne's breath caught in her throat, and Susan scrambled to her feet, wand ready, but it was too late.
The figure took a step forward, and Daphne felt the cold grip of fear wash over her.
"You really thought you could run forever?" The figure said, his voice a low, mocking drawl.
Daphne and Susan exchanged a desperate glance, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. There was no running now. They both knew it.
Daphne swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the inevitable sinking into her chest. But something stirred within her. A flame of defiance that she had felt growing stronger with every close call, every narrow escape. She wasn't ready to surrender. She wasn't ready to let this be the end.
Beside her, Susan's hand trembled slightly, but her voice was stead, "If this is the end…Let's make sure they remember us."
Daphne met her gaze, her heart pounding in her chest, "Together," she whispered.
As soon as the cloaked figure flicked his wand, they dove to the sides to avoid the green curse. Dust and debris filled the air as even more figures stormed into the room. Daphne's pulse quickened, but she steadied her breathing.
"Protego!" she screamed, sending a shield charm up just in time to deflect a curse aimed at her chest.
Susan joined her, her wand flashing with precision as she sent stunners and hexes in every direction. The sound of spells colliding and curses flying filled the air. Death Eaters attacked with fury, but Daphne and Susan fought with everything they had. They spun, ducked, and countered every dark curse with a spell of their own.
But the sheer number of enemies was overwhelming. Daphne could feel exhaustion creeping into her limbs, and she knew that Susan was struggling too. Her heart raced, fear mixing with determination. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and slowly, painfully, their defenses were weakening.
Susa gasped as a curse, narrowly missed her, sending a wave of heat across her face.
"There are too many," Susan cried, but Daphne was already moving, casting another spell.
"I know," Daphne panted, deflecting another jet of light aimed at Susan, "But we keep fighting. Until the end."
The Death Eaters closed in, their sinister grins visible beneath their hoods. Daphne's body ached, her arms growing heavy, her wand slipping slightly in her sweat-slicked hand. She could feel the end creeping close with ever second, but she refused to give up.
Susan's voice cut through the chaos, her tone a mixture of desperation and resolve, "If we're going down…we'll take them with us."
Daphne nodded, fierce determination igniting in her chest, "We'll make them regret every coming after us."
They exchanged one final, desperate glance.
This was the end.
But if they were going to fall, they would do it fighting.
Word Count: 1,359